CHICAGO | St. Regis Chicago (Vista) | 1,191 FT | 101 FLOORS

[chicagodeckerdude]

Originally Posted by Barrelfish

My understanding is that it goes something like this:

• Originally, the narrow parts of each frustrum were going to be even narrower (going from 90ish feet at the widest point down to 70ish feet at the narrowest)
• These got widened so there were fewer difference in floorplans on the wide vs. narrow floors (now more like 90ish vs. 80ish). This brought more usable square footage and also reduced costs (less need to jog plumbinb back and forth, etc.)
• That extra width, combined with the buildings narrow profile + the fact that the middle frustrum isn't directly anchored to the ground (there's a roadway underneath), meant that sway was higher than they wanted during wind tunnel testing
• Therefore, the blow through floor was added to reduce the sway. I think this was after construction was already started, so it was too late to change the design of the tower in a way that would eliminate the need for the blow through

I may be conflating things slightly (maybe the blowthru would have been required regardless of the change in floor plates), but that's the general gist.

That explains a LOT! Thanks!

[SolarWind]

November 25, 2019

[harryc]

Nov 22

Chicago | Vista Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Vista Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Nov 27

Chicago | Vista Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Vista Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | Vista Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

[chris08876]

Via cam today.

[chicagodeckerdude]

Originally Posted by PittsburghPA

Seeing as these will be some of the most expensive condo's in Chicago it seems the developers are doing everything they can to maximize the comfort for the buyers (i.e. multiple slosh tanks and blow-through floor).

Personally, I like it. It is the first of its kind for Chicago and I think will look attractive once complete.

There is always the highly unlikely scenario the engineers realized something before it was too late and added it out of necessity like New York's Citicorp building. If this was the case I highly doubt it was as dramatic as the Citicorp situation but you never know.

http://www.engineersjournal.ie/2015/...ilure-averted/

Right now it stands out. I'm sure once complete I won't mind it that much. Just so prominent at moment. Love this building either way!

[Suburban Shadow]

Do I see the framing removed from the top 7 floors of the south side construction elevator?

Looks like we might be getting more glass soon.

[cozy]

Yup.

The initial concept called for the frustums to
taper from a 90-foot (27.4-meter)-square floor
plate at the widest point to a 70-foot-
(21.3-meter)-square floor plate at the
narrowest; this narrowest floor plate was later
revised to an 81-foot (24.7 meter)-square,
responding to economic demands for more
floor area and less variation in apartment size.
This change, however, had the impact of
increasing wind pressure on the building. In
response, a double-height “blow-through”
floor was introduced at level 83, which allows
wind to pass through the structure at a high
point (see Figure 5). Tuned sloshing dampers
at levels 83, 93, and 94 provide additional
wind-motion accommodation.

p.15 https://studiogang.com/files/pdfs/39...ower-oneup.pdf

[cozy]

was cool reading through that pdf again.

i never noticed that the trapezoidal glass is actually going to be for the a restaurant. going to be a sick date night location.



plus a nice diagram to understand the frustum design:

[Jibba]

As much as the rationalization of the form of this tower might be wholly contrived, Gang designed a really unique and visually seductive building, all of which mostly survived various delays, contractor snafus, financing restructuring, etc. I'm really happy with the (mostly) finished product.

[SpireGuy]

What's up with those mechanical floors when looking at Vista from the South? In between the 2nd and 3rd tier, is part black and part glass. Looks kinda sloppy. Almost like an after thought.

[Ricochet48]

Originally Posted by SpireGuy

What's up with those mechanical floors when looking at Vista from the South? In between the 2nd and 3rd tier, is part black and part glass. Looks kinda sloppy. Almost like an after thought.

Agreed. It looks horrible and unfortunately here to stay.

Selling those extra windowed units too a precedent over architectural symmetry.

[eXodius]

^ They should've done what they did with One Vanderbilt with how they used glass even for the mechanical floors. Looks a LOT better than the black bands on this building! Otherwise it'd be better than the renders!

[MorganChi]

Originally Posted by Ricochet48

Agreed. It looks horrible and unfortunately here to stay.

Selling those extra windowed units too a precedent over architectural symmetry.

Whose your source? Cause I heard different from one of the construction workers.

[Bonsai Tree]

Webcam is finally fully back up! With new views from Aqua!

https://www.vistatowerchicago.com/webcam/

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by SpireGuy

What's up with those mechanical floors when looking at Vista from the South? In between the 2nd and 3rd tier, is part black and part glass. Looks kinda sloppy. Almost like an after thought.

this is a way more egregious sin to me than the blowthrough floor to be quite honest. why, after the colossal expense of this building, they decided to cheap out one of the most visible aspects of the design is beyond me, and i cant imagine it really would have cost that much extra to have continuous glass

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

this is a way more egregious sin to me than the blowthrough floor to be quite honest. why, after the colossal expense of this building, they decided to cheap out one of the most visible aspects of the design is beyond me, and i cant imagine it really would have cost that much extra to have continuous glass

It's no different than the "missing fin" on Aqua. This "break" in her designs seems to be a thing...

[lakeshoredrive]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

It's no different than the "missing fin" on Aqua. This "break" in her designs seems to be a thing...

I am becoming less of a Jeanne Gang fan now and I am worried about the design for the new Ohare terminal

[Skyguy_7]

Dear Ms Gang,
Here is a perfect illustration on how to do aesthetically-pleasing mechanical level louver openings.

Originally Posted by NYguy

JUNE 24, 2019

7.
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/06/102706/1...062419_13b.JPG

Building on left: No. Building on right: YES
via 1 Vandy thread.

[Ned.B]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Dear Ms Gang,
Here is a perfect illustration on how to do aesthetically-pleasing mechanical level louver openings.



Building on left: No. Building on right: YES
via 1 Vandy thread.

We keep proposing mechanical lovers like the building on the right in many of our projects, and they have been VE'd out of every single project. At least in this city developers don't seem to be interested in paying for them.

[2PRUROCKS!]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

It's no different than the "missing fin" on Aqua. This "break" in her designs seems to be a thing...

If that is her intent then it is a most unfortunate "thing". Glass louvers that matched the glass color and tint at the corresponding level would have been the best option but if that was too expensive and got VE'd out they could at least paint the mechanical elements a color that matches the glass at the corresponding level. Would you be able to see the difference? Most likely but they wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb that mares the rhythm of the overall design on the south side.

Compare Vista's mechanical levels to Trump Towers and it is a dramatic difference. In TT the mechanicals are masterfully done to follow the ascetic of the overall design and even enhance the rhythm of the setbacks.

The blow through floor appears to be being handled less than ideally as well. I believe it was LVDW who said the blow through would look best with silver screens. I agree as this would have better matched the silver glass that would have been here at the wide point in the frustum. Instead it looks like it is going to be black.

I was trying to with hold judgement until the project is complete and I am still hopeful this isn't the finished product. If it is it will be a missed opportunity and a lack of attention to detail in an otherwise stellar project. This building could have been an A+ with the proper attention to detail but it is looking like it may be an A-.

Compare this to Wolf Point East where the design is nice but not spectacular but the attention to detail is tremendous. Here at Vista the design is pretty spectacular but the details in some areas are lacking.

None of these black mechanical levels are shown in any of the renderings or models I have seen so I don't know what is the ultimate finished product. I can only hope this isn't it because there are so many other great things about this project (ground level interactions and connections, the stunningly beautiful and moody glass, the overall frustum design, the protruding clear glass portion on the north with the frustum shaped mullions, etc.).